Saturday, October 20
Lewisburg, Pa.
12 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Lafayette
Photo by: Linda Naiman
Bucknell Football Faces Lafayette in Homecoming Game
10/17/2018 6:05:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team welcomes Lafayette to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for its Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 12 p.m. The Bison, who have played the Leopards every year since 1945, will look to stretch their winning streak over their long-time Pennsylvania rivals to five games.
Tickets are on sale at the Campus Box Office, starting at $10 for adults, $6 for children (13-18) and $6 for seniors (62+). Admission is free for Bucknell students as well as children between the ages of 0 and 12. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice or by calling 570-577-1000. For information on the Homecoming activities set for before, during and after the game, visit this link.
When: Saturday, October 20 – 12 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Television: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN-TV, WBPH-60, MASN)
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• move to 45-45-5 all-time on Homecoming
• improve to 2-1 in Patriot League action
• top Lafayette for the fifth-straight game, matching their second-longest winning streak in the all-time series
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 1-6 (1-1 Patriot League) on the season. They finished winless in non-conference play, at 0-5, for the first time since 2010 (also 0-5).
• Bucknell finished 2017 with a 5-6 (2-4 PL) record. The Bison, who took sixth in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Lafayette in the 2018 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell returned a total of 41 letterwinners in 2018. That group includes 14 seniors, 17 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors—WR Alan Butler, DL Alex Jordan, S Joe Lauro, CB Bryan Marine, CB Fisayo Oluleye, TE/FB Andrew Owers, P Alex Pechin and LB Matt Robinson—are three-time letterwinners.
• OL Pat Finn, Lauro, Marine and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2018.
• The Bison have led the Patriot League in total defense six of the past seven seasons, including five years in a row from 2011 to 2015. In 2017, they finished fourth nationally in passing defense (148.3) and 11th in total defense (294.6).
• Bucknell is currently tied for second in the FCS with 19 turnovers gained on 11 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions. The Bison are just one outside of first.
• QB Logan Bitikofer has completed 84 of 160 passes for 783 yards and four touchdowns. RB Jared Cooper is the team leader in rushing yards (427) while he (228), WR Brandon Sanders (242) and Butler (212) have eclipsed 200 receiving yards.
• Through seven games, four Bison have made at least 50 tackles: Lauro (59), Marine (57), LB Sam Chitty (54) and LB Matt Robinson (51). Chitty has paced the Bison in tackles for a loss (10.0) while LB Simeon Page is the team leader in sacks (4.5).
Inside the Monmouth Box Score
• Monmouth used three late touchdowns to down Bucknell, 36-19. Strong defensive and special teams play kept the Bison even with the high-powered Hawks for much of the game. Monmouth, which entered the tilt averaging 32 points per contest, scored three touchdowns in the final six minutes of regulation to move to 8-0 all-time at new Kessler Stadium.
• S Gerrit Van Itallie was a force for Bucknell, posting eight tackles (seven solo), three tackles for a loss of 14 yards, one sack for a loss of nine yards, two blocked punts and one forced fumble. He was recognized as the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week and the Bison Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
• Van Itallie blocked a punt in the end zone, and recovered the ball for a touchdown, to cut the Hawks' edge to 16-13 with 7:22 left to play in the third quarter.
• RB Jared Cooper accounted for two touchdowns and a career-high 171 all-purpose yards (87 rushing, 84 receiving). The freshman opened the scoring at the second quarter's 14:36 mark after taking a slant pass from Logan Bitikofer, finding a seam and racing 74 yards to the end zone. He later gave the Bison a 19-16 advantage at the fourth quarter's 12:33 mark on a 13-yard rush.
• Cooper's 74-yard touchdown reception was Bucknell's first passing play of at least 50 yards since QB John Chiarolanzio found WR Jack Horan for a 64-yard gain at Cornell on Oct. 14, 2017, nearly a year to the day of the Monmouth game.
• CB Bryan Marine picked off former Calvert Hall teammate Kenji Bahar; that interception was the 10th of his career, moving him into a tie for eighth in Bucknell history. Only 12 Bison have reached the double digits in career interceptions.
• Marine's interception was one of three turnovers generated by the Bison defense.
• The Hawks held advantages in total offense (469-266), first downs (20-12) and time of possession (33:05-26:55).
Lafayette at a Glance
• The Leopards are currently 1-5 (0-2 Patriot League) on the season. They most recently fell to Georgetown, 13-6, on Oct. 13 in their Homecoming game.
• Lafayette finished 2017 with a 3-8 (3-3 PL) record. The Leopards, who tied for third in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Bucknell in the 2018 preseason poll.
• QB Sean O'Malley has completed 114 passes for 1,170 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target has been WR Nick Pearson, who boasts 465 yards.
• Defensively, LB Michael Root has led the way with 47 tackles while DL Malik Hamm owns team-best totals in tackles for a loss (8.5) and sacks (4.5).
• Like the Bison, the Leopards have struggled to score in 2018, averaging just 10.50 points per game.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first ever game on Nov. 30, 1883, a 59-0 loss.
• Lafayette leads the all-time series, 52-37-6, but Bucknell has won five of the past seven meetings between the teams.
• The Bison and Leopards have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 74-consecutive years with the 2018 contest.
• Bucknell rides a four-game winning streak over Lafayette into Saturday's game, having won the 2017 (13-7 OT), 2016 (42-17), 2015 (35-24) and 2014 (27-24 OT) tilts. The Bison have previously enjoyed four winning streaks against the Leopards of equal or greater length: from 1929 to 1945 (6), 1968 to 1972 (5) and 1949 to 1952 (4).
The Last Meeting with the Leopards
Bucknell 13 – Lafayette 7 (OT) (Oct. 21, 2017 – Easton, Pa.)
• CB Colin Jonov returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown to lift Bucknell to a 13-7 overtime victory at Lafayette, which entered the game tied for first in the Patriot League with a 2-0 record.
• Jonov's game-winning pick 6 was the sixth-longest touchdown in school history. The five touchdowns ahead of it on the list all came on kickoff returns.
• S Drew Newcomb accounted for the Bison's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 31 yards for a score on the fourth play of the Leopards' first drive.
• The Bucknell defense limited Lafayette to just 186 yards of total offense. It was the second time in 2017 the Bison held their opponent under 200 yards; in their season opener on Sept. 2, they limited Marist to 154 yards in their 45-6 rout.
• CB Bryan Marine led the defense with nine (eight solo) tackles while DE Trevor Fennimore and LB Simeon Page each posted two tackles for a loss and a sack.
• Bucknell's offense, which totaled 208 yards, was held scoreless for the second time in 2017. On Sept. 9, Holy Cross blanked the Bison, 20-0.
• Bucknell moved to 3-0 in games decided by 10 or fewer points in 2017. The Bison previously celebrated a walk-off win on Sept. 23 when K John Burdick booted a 46-yard field goal as time expired to propel them past Sacred Heart, 34-31.
• Bucknell became the 19th NCAA FCS program to reach the 600-win plateau.
Bucknell on Homecoming
• The Bison are 44-45-5 (.495) all-time on Homecoming. They are 10-10 (.500) in Homecoming games over the past 20 years.
• Bucknell fell to rival Lehigh, 42-21, in its 2017 Homecoming contest. RB Chad Freshnock's performance was a bright spot; he rushed for a career-high 174 yards and became the first Bison to run for three touchdowns since 2014. One of his scores was an 85-yard scamper, the fifth longest from the line of scrimmage in school history.
• Bucknell has won three of its past five Homecoming games, taking the 2016 (42-17 over Lafayette), 2014 (27-24 OT over Lafayette) and 2013 (48-10 over then No. 15 Lehigh) renditions.
• This will be the 25th time the Bison will face Lafayette on Homecoming. They are 15-8-1 in their previous Homecoming contests against the Leopards.
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first Homecoming game on Oct. 15, 1921.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 127 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 119 starts, with CB Bryan Marine (31) and S Joe Lauro (24) accounting for over 46 percent of them.
• On offense, three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, four seniors, one junior, five sophomores and one freshman are projected to start.
• Thirteen seniors, nine juniors, 16 sophomores and 10 freshmen appear on the depth chart.
• Twelve players on Bucknell's roster have made at least 10 career starts: Marine (31), WR Alan Butler (27), Lauro (24), OL Pat Finn (17), TE/FB Andrew Owers (17), OL P.J. Barr (15), OL Noah Stephenson (14), WR Justin Bethea (13), DE Roger Mellado (13), LB Simeon Page (12), TE Alex Twiford (12) and QB John Chiarolanzio (11). S Brandon Benson and OL Erik Lukner will join them with a start on Homecoming.
• Butler leads the team with 18 starts in a row. Barr (15), Finn (13), Mellado (13) and Page (11) are also in the double digits in consecutive starts.
• Marine became the first member of the class of 2019 to reach the 30-start plateau against Colgate on Oct. 6, 2018.
• LB Matt Robinson leads the senior class with 37 career games played.
• CB Mike Caruso earned his first career start while OL Chuck Sanders started for the first time this season at Monmouth.
• A total of 38 different Bison have started a game in 2018, a figure that represents just over 45 percent of the team's 83-man roster.
• Ten Bison have started all seven games: Barr, Butler, LB Sam Chitty, Finn, Lauro, Marine, Mellado, Page, OL Justis Peppers and Robinson.
• To date, 17 Bison have earned their first career start in 2018, including four freshmen: DE Grayson Cherubino, RB Jared Cooper, CB Sterling Deary and WR Brandon Sanders.
Bison Among Active NCAA FCS Career Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: t-1st in punting average (43.8)
• CB Bryan Marine: 2nd in passes defended (38), t-6th interceptions (10)
• LB Simeon Page: 1st in tackles for loss per game (1.38), 2nd in sacks per game (0.84)
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 15
• CB Bryan Marine: 1st in solo tackles (44), 4th in combined kick returns (579), t-4th in fumbles recovered (2), 6th in solo tackles per game (6.3), t-8th in interceptions (3)
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting yards (2,446), 3rd in punting average (45.3)
• DE Roger Mellado: t-4th in fumbles recovered (2)
• S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-6th in blocked kicks (2)
• LB Sam Chitty: t-15th in tackles for loss (10.0)
School Record Holders on the 2018 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (43.8), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
Alex Pechin: Setting an All-American Standard
• P Alex Pechin is currently third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.3 punting average; the national leader in punting yards (2,446) and punts (54), he is one of five punters in the nation's top 20 in punting average with at least 40 punts and the only one north of 50.
• Pechin's career punting average of 43.8 is tied for first among all active FCS punters.
• After averaging a career-best 51.0 yards on nine punts at No. 14/15 Villanova, Pechin received Honorable Mention National Special Teams Player of the Week laurels from STATS.
• Pechin's 51.0 punting average against the Wildcats was a single yard shy of the school record, set in 1962; he had five punts sail for at least 50 yards, including a 71-yard bomb.
• Pechin owns Bucknell's third- (71, 2018), seventh- (67, 2017) and 10th- (64, 2017) longest punts in school history.
• Pechin was named to 2018 Preseason All-America First Teams by STATS, Phil Steele, Hero Sports, College Sports Madness and FreeAgentFootball.com
• Pechin was honored on the 2017 STATS All-America Third Team after finishing third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.1 punting average. His average shattered his previous school record, set in 2015 as a freshman, by three full yards.
Bryan Marine: Bucknell's 13th-Straight Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
• CB Bryan Marine was among 179 semifinalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman."
• Only Bucknell and Dayton have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 13 years. Previous Bison honorees include David Frisbey (2006), Nick Mozal (2007), Kevin Mullen (2008), Sam Nana-Sinkam (2009), Travis Nissley (2010), Tim Bolte (2011), Samuel Oyekoya (2012), Tracey Smith (2013), Derek Maurer (2014), Matt DelMauro (2015), Cary Hess (2016) and Mark Pyles (2017).
Milestones Met at Monmouth
• CB Bryan Marine: Became the 12th Bison to reach the double digits in career interceptions
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs six tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Alan Butler: Needs 119 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs one interception to enter tie for seventh with 11
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs 36 tackles to reach 250 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs three sacks to crack Bucknell's career top 10 with 16.5
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 16 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• P Alex Pechin: Needs 1,062 punting yards to reach 10,000 in his career
• LB Matt Robinson: Needs 26 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• S Brice Sydnor: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career
Head Coach Joe Susan
• Joe Susan, the 26th head coach in program history, is in his ninth season at the helm and currently ranks third in career games (95) and sixth in career victories (38).
• Susan broke a tie with Bob Odell, who coached the Bison from 1958 to 1964, for sixth in career wins with Bucknell's victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29, 2018. He now needs two wins to tie George Hoskins (1899-1906, 1909) for fifth.
Inside the 2018 Schedule
• This is the 133rd season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2018 opponents went a combined 50-72 (.410) in 2017. Of that group, Monmouth (9-3), Colgate (7-4) and Penn (6-4) finished at or above .500. At 5-6, the Bison had a better 2017 record than seven of their opponents and matched one other's mark.
• Bucknell's five non-conference opponents hail from four different conferences: the Big South Conference (Monmouth), the Colonial Athletic Association (Villanova and William & Mary), the Ivy League (Penn) and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart).
• The Bison entered the campaign with a 151-244-12 (.371) record against their 2018 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-15), Georgetown (18-11-1) and Sacred Heart (2-1).
How to Follow the Bison
• Every game will be broadcast on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• All five of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Bucknell's home contests against Sacred Heart and Fordham and away game at Lehigh are among 10 Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services. All three will also be carried on Facebook Watch.
• In addition, Bucknell's home game against Colgate and away contest at Georgetown will be streamed on Facebook Watch.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtag #BandOfBison.
Up Next
• After enjoying their bye week, the Bison resume Patriot League play at rival Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 3. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at the Campus Box Office, starting at $10 for adults, $6 for children (13-18) and $6 for seniors (62+). Admission is free for Bucknell students as well as children between the ages of 0 and 12. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice or by calling 570-577-1000. For information on the Homecoming activities set for before, during and after the game, visit this link.
When: Saturday, October 20 – 12 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Television: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN-TV, WBPH-60, MASN)
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• move to 45-45-5 all-time on Homecoming
• improve to 2-1 in Patriot League action
• top Lafayette for the fifth-straight game, matching their second-longest winning streak in the all-time series
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 1-6 (1-1 Patriot League) on the season. They finished winless in non-conference play, at 0-5, for the first time since 2010 (also 0-5).
• Bucknell finished 2017 with a 5-6 (2-4 PL) record. The Bison, who took sixth in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Lafayette in the 2018 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell returned a total of 41 letterwinners in 2018. That group includes 14 seniors, 17 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors—WR Alan Butler, DL Alex Jordan, S Joe Lauro, CB Bryan Marine, CB Fisayo Oluleye, TE/FB Andrew Owers, P Alex Pechin and LB Matt Robinson—are three-time letterwinners.
• OL Pat Finn, Lauro, Marine and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2018.
• The Bison have led the Patriot League in total defense six of the past seven seasons, including five years in a row from 2011 to 2015. In 2017, they finished fourth nationally in passing defense (148.3) and 11th in total defense (294.6).
• Bucknell is currently tied for second in the FCS with 19 turnovers gained on 11 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions. The Bison are just one outside of first.
• QB Logan Bitikofer has completed 84 of 160 passes for 783 yards and four touchdowns. RB Jared Cooper is the team leader in rushing yards (427) while he (228), WR Brandon Sanders (242) and Butler (212) have eclipsed 200 receiving yards.
• Through seven games, four Bison have made at least 50 tackles: Lauro (59), Marine (57), LB Sam Chitty (54) and LB Matt Robinson (51). Chitty has paced the Bison in tackles for a loss (10.0) while LB Simeon Page is the team leader in sacks (4.5).
Inside the Monmouth Box Score
• Monmouth used three late touchdowns to down Bucknell, 36-19. Strong defensive and special teams play kept the Bison even with the high-powered Hawks for much of the game. Monmouth, which entered the tilt averaging 32 points per contest, scored three touchdowns in the final six minutes of regulation to move to 8-0 all-time at new Kessler Stadium.
• S Gerrit Van Itallie was a force for Bucknell, posting eight tackles (seven solo), three tackles for a loss of 14 yards, one sack for a loss of nine yards, two blocked punts and one forced fumble. He was recognized as the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week and the Bison Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
• Van Itallie blocked a punt in the end zone, and recovered the ball for a touchdown, to cut the Hawks' edge to 16-13 with 7:22 left to play in the third quarter.
• RB Jared Cooper accounted for two touchdowns and a career-high 171 all-purpose yards (87 rushing, 84 receiving). The freshman opened the scoring at the second quarter's 14:36 mark after taking a slant pass from Logan Bitikofer, finding a seam and racing 74 yards to the end zone. He later gave the Bison a 19-16 advantage at the fourth quarter's 12:33 mark on a 13-yard rush.
• Cooper's 74-yard touchdown reception was Bucknell's first passing play of at least 50 yards since QB John Chiarolanzio found WR Jack Horan for a 64-yard gain at Cornell on Oct. 14, 2017, nearly a year to the day of the Monmouth game.
• CB Bryan Marine picked off former Calvert Hall teammate Kenji Bahar; that interception was the 10th of his career, moving him into a tie for eighth in Bucknell history. Only 12 Bison have reached the double digits in career interceptions.
• Marine's interception was one of three turnovers generated by the Bison defense.
• The Hawks held advantages in total offense (469-266), first downs (20-12) and time of possession (33:05-26:55).
Lafayette at a Glance
• The Leopards are currently 1-5 (0-2 Patriot League) on the season. They most recently fell to Georgetown, 13-6, on Oct. 13 in their Homecoming game.
• Lafayette finished 2017 with a 3-8 (3-3 PL) record. The Leopards, who tied for third in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Bucknell in the 2018 preseason poll.
• QB Sean O'Malley has completed 114 passes for 1,170 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target has been WR Nick Pearson, who boasts 465 yards.
• Defensively, LB Michael Root has led the way with 47 tackles while DL Malik Hamm owns team-best totals in tackles for a loss (8.5) and sacks (4.5).
• Like the Bison, the Leopards have struggled to score in 2018, averaging just 10.50 points per game.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first ever game on Nov. 30, 1883, a 59-0 loss.
• Lafayette leads the all-time series, 52-37-6, but Bucknell has won five of the past seven meetings between the teams.
• The Bison and Leopards have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 74-consecutive years with the 2018 contest.
• Bucknell rides a four-game winning streak over Lafayette into Saturday's game, having won the 2017 (13-7 OT), 2016 (42-17), 2015 (35-24) and 2014 (27-24 OT) tilts. The Bison have previously enjoyed four winning streaks against the Leopards of equal or greater length: from 1929 to 1945 (6), 1968 to 1972 (5) and 1949 to 1952 (4).
The Last Meeting with the Leopards
Bucknell 13 – Lafayette 7 (OT) (Oct. 21, 2017 – Easton, Pa.)
• CB Colin Jonov returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown to lift Bucknell to a 13-7 overtime victory at Lafayette, which entered the game tied for first in the Patriot League with a 2-0 record.
• Jonov's game-winning pick 6 was the sixth-longest touchdown in school history. The five touchdowns ahead of it on the list all came on kickoff returns.
• S Drew Newcomb accounted for the Bison's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 31 yards for a score on the fourth play of the Leopards' first drive.
• The Bucknell defense limited Lafayette to just 186 yards of total offense. It was the second time in 2017 the Bison held their opponent under 200 yards; in their season opener on Sept. 2, they limited Marist to 154 yards in their 45-6 rout.
• CB Bryan Marine led the defense with nine (eight solo) tackles while DE Trevor Fennimore and LB Simeon Page each posted two tackles for a loss and a sack.
• Bucknell's offense, which totaled 208 yards, was held scoreless for the second time in 2017. On Sept. 9, Holy Cross blanked the Bison, 20-0.
• Bucknell moved to 3-0 in games decided by 10 or fewer points in 2017. The Bison previously celebrated a walk-off win on Sept. 23 when K John Burdick booted a 46-yard field goal as time expired to propel them past Sacred Heart, 34-31.
• Bucknell became the 19th NCAA FCS program to reach the 600-win plateau.
Bucknell on Homecoming
• The Bison are 44-45-5 (.495) all-time on Homecoming. They are 10-10 (.500) in Homecoming games over the past 20 years.
• Bucknell fell to rival Lehigh, 42-21, in its 2017 Homecoming contest. RB Chad Freshnock's performance was a bright spot; he rushed for a career-high 174 yards and became the first Bison to run for three touchdowns since 2014. One of his scores was an 85-yard scamper, the fifth longest from the line of scrimmage in school history.
• Bucknell has won three of its past five Homecoming games, taking the 2016 (42-17 over Lafayette), 2014 (27-24 OT over Lafayette) and 2013 (48-10 over then No. 15 Lehigh) renditions.
• This will be the 25th time the Bison will face Lafayette on Homecoming. They are 15-8-1 in their previous Homecoming contests against the Leopards.
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first Homecoming game on Oct. 15, 1921.
Ready to defend our 🏠 on Homecoming. #BandOfBison #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/FZGrKuHcIP
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 17, 2018
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 127 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 119 starts, with CB Bryan Marine (31) and S Joe Lauro (24) accounting for over 46 percent of them.
• On offense, three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, four seniors, one junior, five sophomores and one freshman are projected to start.
• Thirteen seniors, nine juniors, 16 sophomores and 10 freshmen appear on the depth chart.
• Twelve players on Bucknell's roster have made at least 10 career starts: Marine (31), WR Alan Butler (27), Lauro (24), OL Pat Finn (17), TE/FB Andrew Owers (17), OL P.J. Barr (15), OL Noah Stephenson (14), WR Justin Bethea (13), DE Roger Mellado (13), LB Simeon Page (12), TE Alex Twiford (12) and QB John Chiarolanzio (11). S Brandon Benson and OL Erik Lukner will join them with a start on Homecoming.
• Butler leads the team with 18 starts in a row. Barr (15), Finn (13), Mellado (13) and Page (11) are also in the double digits in consecutive starts.
• Marine became the first member of the class of 2019 to reach the 30-start plateau against Colgate on Oct. 6, 2018.
• LB Matt Robinson leads the senior class with 37 career games played.
• CB Mike Caruso earned his first career start while OL Chuck Sanders started for the first time this season at Monmouth.
• A total of 38 different Bison have started a game in 2018, a figure that represents just over 45 percent of the team's 83-man roster.
• Ten Bison have started all seven games: Barr, Butler, LB Sam Chitty, Finn, Lauro, Marine, Mellado, Page, OL Justis Peppers and Robinson.
• To date, 17 Bison have earned their first career start in 2018, including four freshmen: DE Grayson Cherubino, RB Jared Cooper, CB Sterling Deary and WR Brandon Sanders.
Bison Among Active NCAA FCS Career Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: t-1st in punting average (43.8)
• CB Bryan Marine: 2nd in passes defended (38), t-6th interceptions (10)
• LB Simeon Page: 1st in tackles for loss per game (1.38), 2nd in sacks per game (0.84)
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 15
• CB Bryan Marine: 1st in solo tackles (44), 4th in combined kick returns (579), t-4th in fumbles recovered (2), 6th in solo tackles per game (6.3), t-8th in interceptions (3)
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting yards (2,446), 3rd in punting average (45.3)
• DE Roger Mellado: t-4th in fumbles recovered (2)
• S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-6th in blocked kicks (2)
• LB Sam Chitty: t-15th in tackles for loss (10.0)
School Record Holders on the 2018 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (43.8), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
Alex Pechin: Setting an All-American Standard
• P Alex Pechin is currently third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.3 punting average; the national leader in punting yards (2,446) and punts (54), he is one of five punters in the nation's top 20 in punting average with at least 40 punts and the only one north of 50.
• Pechin's career punting average of 43.8 is tied for first among all active FCS punters.
• After averaging a career-best 51.0 yards on nine punts at No. 14/15 Villanova, Pechin received Honorable Mention National Special Teams Player of the Week laurels from STATS.
• Pechin's 51.0 punting average against the Wildcats was a single yard shy of the school record, set in 1962; he had five punts sail for at least 50 yards, including a 71-yard bomb.
• Pechin owns Bucknell's third- (71, 2018), seventh- (67, 2017) and 10th- (64, 2017) longest punts in school history.
• Pechin was named to 2018 Preseason All-America First Teams by STATS, Phil Steele, Hero Sports, College Sports Madness and FreeAgentFootball.com
• Pechin was honored on the 2017 STATS All-America Third Team after finishing third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.1 punting average. His average shattered his previous school record, set in 2015 as a freshman, by three full yards.
Bryan Marine: Bucknell's 13th-Straight Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
• CB Bryan Marine was among 179 semifinalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman."
• Only Bucknell and Dayton have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 13 years. Previous Bison honorees include David Frisbey (2006), Nick Mozal (2007), Kevin Mullen (2008), Sam Nana-Sinkam (2009), Travis Nissley (2010), Tim Bolte (2011), Samuel Oyekoya (2012), Tracey Smith (2013), Derek Maurer (2014), Matt DelMauro (2015), Cary Hess (2016) and Mark Pyles (2017).
Milestones Met at Monmouth
• CB Bryan Marine: Became the 12th Bison to reach the double digits in career interceptions
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs six tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Alan Butler: Needs 119 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs one interception to enter tie for seventh with 11
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs 36 tackles to reach 250 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs three sacks to crack Bucknell's career top 10 with 16.5
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 16 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• P Alex Pechin: Needs 1,062 punting yards to reach 10,000 in his career
• LB Matt Robinson: Needs 26 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• S Brice Sydnor: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career
Head Coach Joe Susan
• Joe Susan, the 26th head coach in program history, is in his ninth season at the helm and currently ranks third in career games (95) and sixth in career victories (38).
• Susan broke a tie with Bob Odell, who coached the Bison from 1958 to 1964, for sixth in career wins with Bucknell's victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29, 2018. He now needs two wins to tie George Hoskins (1899-1906, 1909) for fifth.
Inside the 2018 Schedule
• This is the 133rd season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2018 opponents went a combined 50-72 (.410) in 2017. Of that group, Monmouth (9-3), Colgate (7-4) and Penn (6-4) finished at or above .500. At 5-6, the Bison had a better 2017 record than seven of their opponents and matched one other's mark.
• Bucknell's five non-conference opponents hail from four different conferences: the Big South Conference (Monmouth), the Colonial Athletic Association (Villanova and William & Mary), the Ivy League (Penn) and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart).
• The Bison entered the campaign with a 151-244-12 (.371) record against their 2018 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-15), Georgetown (18-11-1) and Sacred Heart (2-1).
How to Follow the Bison
• Every game will be broadcast on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• All five of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Bucknell's home contests against Sacred Heart and Fordham and away game at Lehigh are among 10 Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services. All three will also be carried on Facebook Watch.
• In addition, Bucknell's home game against Colgate and away contest at Georgetown will be streamed on Facebook Watch.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtag #BandOfBison.
Up Next
• After enjoying their bye week, the Bison resume Patriot League play at rival Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 3. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m.
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